Southampton Teacher Avoids Prison Over Indecent Images

A music teacher from Southampton has avoided being sent to prison after he pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children and extreme pornography involving animals.

Edmund Warbrick, of Middle Road in Sholing, was sentenced to six months in prison suspended for two years at Southampton Crown Court after he admitted 20 offences.

The 48-year-old, who has been sacked by Sholing Technology College where he worked for 20 years, was also given a sex offences prevention order which bans him from working with children for 10 years and he was ordered to sign on the sex offenders' register for 10 years.

Warbrick, known as Jim at the school, was also given a two-year supervision order, ordered to pay an £80 victim surcharge and £340 costs.

Martin Brown, headteacher at The Sholing Technology College, said:

``We are aware that a former member of staff, employed by The Sholing Technology College from 1 September 1994 until 15 December 2014 - pleaded guilty to 18 counts of possession of child pornography and has been sentenced in Southampton Crown Court.

``We have been fully co-operative in the police investigation against this former member of staff.

``The safety of our students is of paramount importance to us and is therefore something we take very seriously. As a college we review our safeguarding arrangements on a continuous basis and as a result have robust procedures in place to protect our students.''